Painter&#39;s easel



Oct. 10, 1950 J. DUMAS 2,524,898

PAINTERS EASEL Filed March 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [/4 INVENTOR.

Oct. 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1947 Y MM M mm e M m 5 (m m F W M M; I. 2 H m 2 E j w 1 a m m y I a 3 x Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAINTERS EASEL Jean Dumas, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 25, 1947, Serial No. 736,930

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in easels for painters and artists and to similar devices.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements over the invention shown and described in my previous Patent No. 1,809,268 issued June 9, 1931. The above mentioned patent relates generally to mechanism for holding canvas stretching frames on a vertically disposed support and permits raising or lowering of the frame as desired. Also it relates to mechanism to permit the canvas to be stretched to compensate for irregularities in the surface of the same occasioned by moisture and temperature changes without removal from or changing the position of the work on the easel.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of artist easel or painting frame support pivotally mounted at its base, so that the angle at which the canvas is held may be determined within limits to the exact slope at which an artist desires to work.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism that is comparatively simple and easily adjusted for making the changes in the angular position of the easel.

A further object ,of the invention is to provide an easel supported upon a comparatively large flat base to provide the necessary'rigidity and structural support for the same, the base being capable of being easily moved from place to place, a

so that the painting may be done in the most advantageous position to receive the best light available.

A further object of the invention is to provide auxiliary holders which may be mounted upon the usual holders provided for the regular size canvas frames which holders are capable of supporting a canvas mounted upon A to thick frames, the same being comparatively smaller than those normally used, but which are frequently employed for certain purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the type described that is comparatively simple to manufacture, easily and quickly adjustable, as desired by the artist, and one which will stand long, and hard usage without becoming broken or out of order.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings upon which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan fragmentary sectional view showing the pivoted easel frame support on the base;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed section through a portion of the base and the pivoted easel frame support taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the complete easel and base;

Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view taken generally on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 61s a similar sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a front perspective View of the auxil iary frame member employed for smaller canvas frames.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate and describe, I have shown an upright frame In which may consist of four vertical rod membersl2. The rod members may be connected together at their upper end by a suitable rectangularly shaped bracket l4 being fastened therein by suitable nut members !6. A similar bracket [8 may be secured to the lower end of the rod members by similar nut members 20. The bracket 18, as more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may be fastened to a cross shaft 22 by cap screw members 24. The shaft 22 may be mounted for rotation between a pair of clamping bars 26 and 28. The bar 28 being fastened to the base 30 by means of cap screws 32 and the bar 26 being fastened to the bar 28 by means of cap screws 34. With this construction, it can be seen that the frame I!) may be tilted from a vertical to an inclined angle within limits either forward or back to suit the individual requirements of the artist.

The frame H] is adapted to provide a support for the artists work at any desired angle and also provides a vise for stretching the canvas which is being painted. For elevating the work to a desired height, I provide a plate 38 intermediate the ends of frame Hi, the plate being fixed relative to the frame. The plate provides a mounting for a rack 40 as well as a cooperating pinion 42. which terminates in a crank 46 having a handle 48. A ratchet wheel 50 may also be mounted upon the shaft 44, having a spring pressed pawl associated therewith, so that by rotation of the handle 48 the pinion 42 which engages the teeth 40a of the rack 40 will raise or lower a plate member 52 secured to the upper end of the rack, the pawl and ratchet 50 previously described being provided to hold the same in locked engagement at any desired raised or lowered position.

A frame F for a canvas C may be mounted The pinion 42 is mounted upon a shaft 44 between a fixed plate 54 secured to the upright rods l2 by thumb screw members 56 and the plate 52. The ledges 54a. and 52a being extended, so that a comparatively long grip may be had upon the canvas frame. Means for locking the upper section of the frame on the plate 52 may comprise a movable clamp member 58 mounted for reciprocation in a suitable opening in the plate 52. The clamp member 58 may have a forwardly extending ledge 60 provided with teeth 62 for engaging in the wooden frame'F, the ledge 54a of the plate 54 having similar teeth for engaging in the lower portion of the frame. The clamp member 58 may be pivotally mounted upon the end of a rocker arm 64, the arm being pivoted at 66 on a bracket 68 on the plate 52, the opposite end of the rocker arm beingipivotally connected at 10 to a disc member 12. A handle 14 is provided for rotating the disc, so that by'm'eans of the eccentric movement, the vise member 58 may be brought down to rigidly clamp the upper portion of the canvas frame against the plate 52.

The mechanism which has been described for raising or lowering the upper plate 52 and for clamping the canvas frame in place may be generally similar to that shown and described in my previous patent'and will, therefore, not be described in any further detail herein.

In order-to position the frame [0 at the desired 1 angle from the vertical or to fixedly hold the same in a rigid vertical position,-I have provided a brace member 16 which may be pivotally secured to the base 30 by a hinge member 18. The upper end of the brace 16 may also carry a hinge member 80, the portion 82 of the same being fixedly secured to a plate 84.

A similar plate 86 may be provided to work in conjunction with the same, the plates being provided with arcuate grooves to partially engage around the upright rods 12, the plates being capable of fastening to the rods by means of a bolt member 88 screw-threadedly engaging the plate 86 and having a tightening handle 90 connected thereto. With this construction the handle 90 may be rotated to loosen the engaging plates, the frame may be swung to the desired angle; by rotating the handle 90 the brace will be rigidly clamped to the frame to support it in the desired angular position.

The auxiliary frame, which I provide for supporting smaller canvas frames, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, maybe in the form of a bracket 92 having a slot 94 therein provided with tapped openings 96 to receive thumb screws 98, so the same can be fastened to the ledges 52a and 54a of the plates '52 and'54. The picture frame may then be inserted over the horizontal ledge I00 of the frame and be rigidly fastened thereto by thumb-screws 102 which extend through the tapped openings I04 in the upright leaves I05.

From the above and foregoing description, it can'be seen that with the construction provided I have madeconsiderable improvement over the construction shown in my previous patent. The easel supporting frame is now capable of angular adjustment back and forth from the vertical by easy and simple manipulation and can be rigidly braced at the desired angular position. In addition, the auxiliary supporting frames for smaller canvas frames are adapted for easy attachment to the plates 52 and 54, so that smaller or larger canvas frames may be employed, as desired.

I contemplate that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown, and I do not wish to be limited in any particular;

irather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1. Easel construction comprising a base, a

bracket pivotally mounted thereon, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said bracket, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the forward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to hold oneof said plates fixed relative to said rods, and a rack and pinion operable to control the movement of the other of said plates.

2. Easel construction comprising a base, a bracket pivotally mounted thereon, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said bracket, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the forward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to hold one of said plates-fixed relative to said rods, a rack and pinion operable to control the movement of the other of said plates and a brace for said vertical rods, said brace having locking plates slidable on said vertical rods and capable of fixedly connecting said base and said vertical rods at a predetermined fixed angle.

'3. Easel construction comprising a base, a bracket mounted on said base, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced-apart relation on said bracket, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said-rods, the forward edges of each plate forming a shelf, means operable to hold one of said plates fixed relative to said rods, a rack and pinion operable to control the movement of the other of-said plates, a clamping plate movably mounted on said rack controlled plate, cam mechanism operable to control the clamping plate and means connected between said base and said plurality of vertical rods for adjusting the same to desired vertical angular position.

JEAN DUMAS.

"REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES .PATENTS Number Name Date 121,240 Forbes Nov. 28, 1871 410,226 White Sept. 3, 1889 1,809,268 Dumas June 9, 1931 2,032,872 Friedrichs Mar. 3, 1936 2,059,525 I-Iuelsdonk Nov. 3, 1936 

